There is no question that the Philadelphia Phillies have struggled to find a consistent center fielder recently. Since Shane Victorino back in the glory days more than a decade ago, the position has been a weakness for the club that has World Series aspirations.
There has been a gap in the position dating back to the Flyin' Hawaiian's departure. Odubel Herrera manned center field from 2015-2022 before running into some off-the-field issues that were serious enough for the Phillies to rightfully cut ties.
Phillies have had problems in center field for a while
Despite his hold on the position, the club has yet to find a steady player to roam center field, but there could be a solution to the issue hiding in plain sight.
To help solve the issue, the organization acquired Brandon Marsh back at the trade deadline in 2022, but he has yet to show enough consistency to be an everyday player. His .095/.220/.167 slash line to begin the 2025 season demonstrates his struggles.
Johan Rojas was brought up in the summer of 2023, but has not really developed offensively to the point that he can be an everyday player on a championship-caliber team. As advertised, his defense has been stellar, but his high strikeout rate and inability to get on base has been an issue.
Currently, the organization has No. 3 prospect Justin Crawford waiting in the wings to take over center field in the coming years, but he is still not ready, Despite having a solid start to his Triple-A season, there is still some developing that needs to transpire before he is ready for his big-league call-up.
Otto Kemp is the obvious solution to Phillies’ outfield problems
The internal solution lies with 25-year-old Otto Kemp, the team's No. 24 prospect. Currently a teammate of Crawford in Lehigh Valley, Kemp has started getting some reps in left field. He has traditionally played first, second and third base throughout his minor league career, but his transition to play the corner outfield position could prove to be valuable for the major league club.
Kemp has been having a solid year in Triple-A. His power numbers have surged. To this point, he has hit six home runs and boasts a 1.053 OPS through 19 games. If he can prove to play reliable defense in left, the Phillies could have some options to help mend their outfield. As a right-handed bat, Kemp could give the club some much-needed power in the corner outfield spot opposite Nick Castellanos.
Kemp playing left field is all well and good, but that raises the question of where would Max Kepler play in this scenario? Well, Kepler, a 10-year vet, has accumulated over 1,000 innings in center field during his big league career without committing a single error at the position, according to Luke Arcaini at Crossing Broad.
Kepler has played solid defense in left field to start his Phillies' tenure, and it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to try him out in center to test his abilities there at this point in his career.
It remains to be seen whether Kemp can be a viable option in left field, but it's worth giving him the opportunity. At 25, he's one of the prospects who is closest to being ready for a call-up to the big leagues. His bat has been impressive, and that is exactly what the current Phillies' roster needs.